‘Yes it is something we see in sci-fi, something we see at the cinema, but actually it is something we can use to detect anti-social behaviour’
19:03, 13 Jan 2026Updated 19:04, 13 Jan 2026
A tram pictured in Old Market Square, Nottingham city centre(Image: Joseph Raynor/ Reach PLC)
Penalty fares for riding Nottingham’s tram network without a ticket could be increased to £120 – and a new AI tool is set to track troublemakers.
An Artificial Intelligence (AI) feature, called “RoboCop” in jest by the operator’s boss, is being trialled in a bid to tackle anti-social behaviour.
It all comes as more effort is being put into making the NET network safer and more financially sustainable.
Currently penalty fares for people found riding the tram without a ticket are £70, but permission is being sought by the operator from the Government to increase the amount to £120.
However this would be discounted to £60 if paid within 14 days.
During a meeting to discuss the network on Tuesday (January 13), Tim Hesketh, the chief executive officer of Tramlink, said: “Currently the penalty fare is a single price of £70, and if you go beyond the second appeal there is a £25 admin charge.
“Currently there is no real incentive for people to just pay. It is very easy for people to kick the can down the road.
“So in line with the changes to national rail penalty fare schemes, we are asking the Secretary of State if we can increase penalty fares to £120, but discounted to £60 if it is paid within 14 days.
“£70 is not hugely dissimilar to a monthly season ticket cost for an adult, and we’ve always been wary that somebody may say they will risk getting caught once per month because I am never going to be paying more than a monthly season ticket anyway. So we think this is actually going to make it easier for us.
“If in a year we decide it hasn’t been any better we will look at changing it again.”
Mr Hesketh also revealed a new AI tool will be trialled in a bid to clamp down on anti-social behaviour on the network.
During the meeting he showed footage of the AI tool being used to detect a group of young people picking up ballast from the tracks, before using the small rocks to smash a shelter at Cinderhill tram stop.
He said there are almost 300 CCTV cameras across the network, but only 30 are visible at any one time to staff working in the control room.
The AI tool can flag up specific incidents to control room staff, or the dedicated police officer who has just been placed in the control room as part of a new operation, Operation SafeNET, to more quickly respond and deal with them.
“The other thing we are due to start trialing soon is the use of AI to monitor our CCTV,” Mr Hesketh added.
“We are working with a research company to train an AI to look for and monitor anti-social behaviour, and other key elements around the network.
“So if our AI system, or turbo RoboCop if you like, sees someone for instance lying on the floor on the tram platform, or a group of kids smashing up a shelter, that will prompt it to flash it up on screen in front of PC Luke in Operation SafeNET, and someone can make a decision with what to do with it.
“We are going to do a live trial over the next few months. Yes it is something we see in sci-fi, something we see at the cinema, but actually it is something we can use to detect anti-social behaviour and crime – not before it is happening like in Minority Report, but as it is happening in real-time.”